Data from: Fruit resources shape sexual selection processes in a lek mating system

The degree to which within-population variation in sexual trait expression
relates to resource heterogeneity remains poorly explored. This is
particularly true in lek-mating species, where genetic explanations for
male phenotypic variance and mating success are dominant. Here, we
demonstrate a link between fine-scale fruit resource availability and
indices of male mating success in the white-bearded manakin (Manacus
manacus), a lek-mating frugivorous bird that produces energetically costly
courtship displays. We used motion-activated camera traps to monitor male
display behavior and female visitation at male courts while concurrently
conducting twice-monthly fruit surveys around courts. We observed
significant variability in ripe fruit biomass among display courts and
leks, and mean fruit biomass at courts significantly predicted male
display rates. In turn, male display rate was the strongest predictor of
female visitation to courts. Causal modeling supported the hypothesis that
hyper-local fruit availability indirectly affects female visitation via
its direct effects on male display rate. The demonstration that resource
availability at fine spatial scales predicts display rate in a lekking
organism—for which resource-related variables are typically not considered
to play important roles in shaping male reproductive variance—has
implications for the expression, honesty, and maintenance of sexually
selected traits under fluctuating ecological conditions.